Cheney Releases Terrorists: Criticizes Obama For Attacks They Mastermind

By Big Tent Democrat, Section Other Politics
Posted on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:11:53 AM EST
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Just at the finish of the year, Dick Cheney puts in for the Chutzpah of the Year award:

As I’ve watched the events of the last few days it is clear once again that President Obama is trying to pretend we are not at war. [. . .] He seems to think if he closes Guantanamo and releases the hard-core al Qaeda trained terrorists still there, we won’t be at war.

(Emphasis supplied.) As for who released the "hard-core al Qaeda trained terrorists" behind this particular terrorist attack, Dick Cheney has nothing to say. Let's remind him:

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents. [Emphasis supplied.]

Speaking for me only. See also Steve Benen ("Dick Cheney is a coward and a disgrace.")

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Cheney Releases Terrorists: Criticizes Obama For Attacks They Mastermind | 25 comments (25 topical)

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I guess the torture really didn't (5.00 / 1) (#1)
by inclusiveheart on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:14:48 AM EST

work so well afterall. Hmmm. Big surprise she said sarcastically.

And If he released those guys (5.00 / 4) (#3)
by Militarytracy on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:29:21 AM EST

I'll just make a wild guess that they were guys that were picked up because their rival war lord sold their names to the Americans back when the Americans thought that was how you found the bad guys :) They may have been innocent before, but a nice GITMO stay inspired them Dick.

Gitmo (5.00 / 1) (#4)
by CST on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:45:35 AM EST

Is our very own U.S. financed, terrorist recruiting camp.

Heck of a job!


So, the idea that "closing" Gitmo (none / 0) (#10)
by Inspector Gadget on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 09:45:40 AM EST

is best done just by moving it onto US soil is what? Brilliant?


Is that what I said? (none / 0) (#12)
by CST on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:21:51 AM EST

Funny, cuz I didn't read that anywhere in my post.

Although if you're asking me whether or not I think it's "safe" to have them on U.S. soil, I'd say I think our prizons can handle it.

If you're asking me whether or not it's ok to detain people indefinitely who have caused us no harm because we may have turned them into terrorists, I still say no.

Although I do think it would be prudent to put those released on a watch list.


: Hah - I was actually agreeing with you (none / 0) (#16)
by Inspector Gadget on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 11:17:33 AM EST

It's a terrorist training camp, but that fact doesn't change by moving the inmates to a new facility in Illinois. Cheney should be so yesterday. It's tomorrow we need to be paying close attention to.

And this surprises who! (5.00 / 1) (#5)
by mmc9431 on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:55:25 AM EST

No one in the Bush administration has ever accepted any responsibility for their actions. Democrats on the other hand have never bothered to hold them accountable. In fact, Obama and the Democrats have continued and defended many of the Bush policies.

This is why a complete investigation should have been done. The policies of the GWB era needed the light of day to be throughly discredited. Instead we're allowing the Republicans to write their own history.

What infuriates me (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by AlkalineDave on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 09:16:30 AM EST

about this, is that all the Fox News talking heads seem to forget about Richard Reed. Seriously, it's complain about long lines or complain about the way things are handled. Unless everyone wants full cavity searches right before they board a plane...I'm done.

Keep fu¢k*ng that chicken, Dick (none / 0) (#2)
by andgarden on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:20:04 AM EST

: It's takes (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by AlkalineDave on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 09:17:12 AM EST

a tough man to make a tender analysis.

We're not surprised by this, are we? (none / 0) (#6)
by Anne on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 09:10:39 AM EST

This is standard GOP-speak, a language that leaves out all the inconvenient details of the past that, if considered, would render people like Cheney pretty much mute. If only, huh?

What will be interesting to see, though, is whether Obama reacts as Cheney expects him too - not by bringing up the truth Cheney leaves out, but by flexing his national security muscle in some Cheney-esque way to prove that Cheney is wrong about him.

If nothing else, Cheney's comments will give Obama cover to defend his plan for indefinite detentions, and will possibly also give him the reasons he needs to strengthen whatever god-awful civil liberties restrictions were instituted by the last administration.

: This is standard politics... (none / 0) (#11)
by kdog on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:00:09 AM EST

its always the guy with the other letter after his/her name's fault.
And Obama will react as our military industrial complex demands...more war, more blood, less human rights.

Cheney resposible for faking reports on Iraq (none / 0) (#9)
by Saul on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 09:31:40 AM EST

He pressured the CIA to fake the National Intelligence Estimate so it would show we needed to go to war in Iraq.

The documentary on PBS that shows all this is Frontline The Dark Side you can see it online

Here is link on The Dark Side

IMO Chenney and Bush did more harm than good. He and other cronies in the Defense Dept to include Wolfowitz and his partners are all responsible for the thousands of lives lost in Iraq that did not had to happen.

They all belong to be put in GITMO

Ah, the all powerful Cheney (none / 0) (#13)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:29:26 AM EST

He made Janet N confirm that the system worked before it failed and Obama wait days before doing his duty.

And he definitely made Obama release prisoners.

Of course terrorists released from GITMO returning to attack Americans is nothing new.

Read this from JUne 21 2005

"Of the people that we've released, we've captured a number of them or killed a number of them back on the battlefield in Afghanistan," Hunter, R-Calif., told FOX News on Sunday. "The question is, are we liberal enough in the application of our standards that determine who we release back into the world. I think some American parents who have kids out there would argue we're too liberal."
Citing a memo prepared for him by his staff, Hunter proceeded to discuss some of the at least 10 detainees who have been released from Guantanamo Bay, or Gitmo, only to re-join the fight against the U.S. coalition bringing democracy to Afghanistan.
Among the names listed in the memo is Mohammed Yusif Yaqeb (search), also known as Mullah Shazada. Yaqeb was released in May 2003. He proceeded to become the head of Taliban (search) operations in southern Afghanistan and was killed one year later in a fight with U.S. forces.

Yet the Left kept on pushing to have more and more released.

Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.

It would be great if we could all grasp that we are at war with Islamic radicals.

How this relates to my post (none / 0) (#15)
by Big Tent Democrat on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 11:14:47 AM EST

is not apparent to me.


You brought the subject up in your post (none / 0) (#20)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 01:40:52 PM EST

Two of the four leaders allegedly behind the al Qaeda plot to blow up a Northwest Airlines passenger jet over Detroit were released by the U.S. from the Guantanamo prison in November 2007, according to American officials and Department of Defense documents

Can you show us a single comment (none / 0) (#23)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 04:06:20 PM EST

where you have condemned the release of prisoners from GITMO?

I'd really like to see that.


Translated from DA speak: (none / 0) (#25)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 05:57:10 PM EST

I can't because I didn't.

;-)


Heh (none / 0) (#27)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 07:10:21 PM EST

If you have changed your position, why not just admit it?

And Cheney's credibility, or lack thereof, has nothing to with your past position on the release of prisoners from GITMO.


heh with a hehe (none / 0) (#29)
by jimakaPPJ on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 08:31:42 PM EST

My comment was just asking you to verify your claim.

Law of the Internet: "He who claims proves."


: Bully you into submission? (none / 0) (#31)
by jimakaPPJ on Thu Dec 31, 2009 at 09:24:01 AM EST

You're far to valuable as a demonstration object to change you.
And yes, you made a claim.

Somewhere out there, potential GOP (none / 0) (#14)
by oculus on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 10:33:42 AM EST

voters are buying Cheney's comments.

: Of course they are (none / 0) (#17)
by Militarytracy on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:04:25 PM EST

Some things never go completely out of style

Who cares what Dick says? He's a lying fool (none / 0) (#19)
by Angel on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 12:14:17 PM EST

and was at the heart of all of the problems of the previous administration. He should be in a gulag somewhere for his crimes.

This seems counterproductive (none / 0) (#22)
by stjust on Wed Dec 30, 2009 at 03:23:39 PM EST

If Bush-Cheney let prisoners out and the proisoners went on to commit acts of terrorism, the answer is to be more careful than they were -- to add restrictions on release of the Guantanamo prisoners. Is that really the way we want to go?